Improved projectile for ordnance



A. HOTGHKISS.

Projectile.

Patented Oct. 16, 1855.

A'IENT FFICE.

ANDREW HoTCHKIss, or SHARON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVED PROJECTILE FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. H$,fi79, dated October16,1855.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW HOTCHKISS, of Sharon, county of Litchfield,and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Projectiles for Ordnance; and I do hereby declare thatthe folrifled cannon, and also shall have effects similar to theslugging of balls in breech-loading guns. The shot is made in threedistinct parts,

two of said parts being of cast-iron or similar metal and the third ofsome softer and more flexible material -such, for instance, as leadthewhole, when combined together, forming,

to external appearance, an egg-shaped shot.

The construction and operation is as follows: The body of the shotconsists of a casting having one end formed into a blunted point,similar to the usual conical ball, as seen at A, Fig. I. The oppositeend of this body from a little beyond the middle tapers off intoatail-piece, (seen at 13,) and is also squared at the end. Upon eachcorner of the square the metal is cut away a little, so as to form aprojection, (shown at the letter 0,) the object of which will beexplained farther on. About the middle of the body A two recesses areformed completely around, as at e and 6, thus leaving a projection, 1between. Upon these the lead ring is cast, and the recesses andprojection serve to keep it on. This ring is at G, part being shown insection. From the point at c it will be seen that the inner surface ischamfered off, as shown, and leaves a cup-shaped termination.

The second casting will now be described. This consists of a cap whichis to inclose the tail-piece B, and is to effect the expansion of theprojecting edge of the lead ring into the grooves of the cannon. It isshown at E, Fig. I, with a view looking directly into the inte rior inFig. II. The rim of this cap is chamfered or beveled off from theoutside, as shown in the sectional part at i, and where it will be seento fit in and press upon the like beveled ridge of the leaden ring. Inthe head of the cap inside is a proj ecting ring, 8, through which fournotches, s, are cut, as shown in Fig. II, and these permit theprojections c to pass through. The object of this will nowbe madeapparent, for by turning the cap slightly round the projections pass bythe notches and become locked by the solid part of the ring, and thusthe parts A and E are held together.

In order that the cap may expand theleaden ring, it must have play uponthe tail B, for which, it will be seen, there is room left in the cavityt beyond. The tail acts also asa guide to the cap, insuring a directforward motion, since without such guide the cap might be driven alittle out of the true line, and the result would be that the ring,being more ex panded on one side than on the other, would cause windageon that other side, and consequently destroy the accuracy of the fire.

The effects in the act of firing are as follows: The bore ofthe cannonmust be spirally grooved on a principle similar to that of a rifle. The

flat part of the ring 0 should fit the smooth part or lands of the bore.In sending it down the flexible ring may be slightly eX- panded by ablow of the rammer as soon as the shot is home. It is in the act offiring, however, that the ring 0 is expanded so as to take a fullimpression of the grooves, for by the force with which the cap E isdriven toward the body of the shot, or A, and before momentum iscommunicated to the latter, the lead ring will be expanded, that beingthe point of least resistance, and be thereby caused to take theimpression of the grooves, as also to be packed tightly against the restof the chamber. This prevents windage, and of course insures the fulleffect of the powder, while at the sametime rotary motion is imparted tothe shot. The flexible ring also has this important advantage, that itdoes-not wear or damage the grooves of the gun, even in case ofstripping, should such action occur, and hence there is no reason whythe wear should not be as long as in the plain bore.

\Vhat I claim as of my invention is- 1. Constructing ashot or projectilecapable of being fired from a cannon having rifle- 2. The tail-piece forsecuring the cap to the body of the shot and as a guide to the cap inits forward motion, in the manner described.

ANDREV HOTOHKTSS.

W'itn esses:

S. H. MAYNARD, TM. E. WHITE.

